Queer Activist's Murder Sparks Covert Investigation in Lithuania

On November 10, 2025, Lithuanian filmmaker Romas Zabarauskas is set to premiere his latest crime drama "The Activist" (Aktyvistas) at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. The film follows Andrius, played by Robertas Petraitis, who is consumed by grief and guilt after a masked intruder kills his secret lover Deividas, Lithuania's most influential human rights activist.

Andrius, who has been too afraid to publicly support the queer community, now launches his own investigation without knowing whom to trust. As neo-Nazis threaten the planned LGBTQ+ march in Kaunas, politics also plays a role in the unfolding events. The film's ensemble cast includes Vaslov Goom, Redita Dominaityte, Tekle Baroti, Karolis Kasperavicius, and Arnoldas Augustaitis.

Zabarauskas, who co-wrote the screenplay with Marc David Jacobs and Vitalija Lapina, sees "The Activist" as the third installment in his queer trilogy after "The Lawyer" (2020) and "The Writer" (2023). While the films share a thematic focus on queer male couples in difficult political circumstances, each explores a different genre, with "The Activist" being a noir thriller.